Los Altos · City of Los Altos Community Development
Los Altos New Construction — Custom Homes & Teardown Rebuilds
Los Altos custom homes and teardown rebuilds are reviewed by the City of Los Altos Community Development Department. Family-scaled lots, FAR and daylight-plane geometry, heritage-tree rules, and the 2025 California Energy Code together set the envelope before design begins.
CSLB #1156772 · License & insurance details on request
Quick Answer
If you are building or rebuilding in Los Altos, a written feasibility should confirm zoning district, FAR allowance, daylight-plane geometry, heritage-tree exposure, and energy-code path. Most Los Altos projects clear administrative review when designed inside the as-of-right envelope.
Who this is for
- Owners teardown-rebuilding aging single-family homes in Country Club, North Los Altos, or South Los Altos.
- Homeowners building a new custom home on an intact parcel.
- Buyers under contract on a Los Altos teardown lot needing pre-close feasibility.
- Owners weighing remodel-plus-addition vs full rebuild.
Who reviews new construction in Los Altos?
Los Altos is the City of Los Altos. Planning, plan-check, building permits, and inspections all run through the City's Community Development Department. Los Altos Hills is a separate Town with its own building department — see the Los Altos Hills page if your parcel is in the Hills.
Most Los Altos single-family projects clear administrative review when designed inside the as-of-right envelope. Variances or projects exceeding FAR or daylight rules trigger discretionary review.
What ground-up projects suit Los Altos
Teardown rebuilds
Removal of an aging single-family home followed by a current-code ground-up replacement.
Custom homes on intact lots
Ground-up homes designed against the City's FAR and daylight-plane rules.
Major remodel-plus-addition
Reuse of foundation and partial primary structure when trees or finance constrain a full rebuild.
ADU + primary rebuild
Pairing a state-rules ADU with the primary new construction to optimize use of the parcel.
Local constraints that shape Los Altos budgets and schedules
Los Altos enforces a heritage-tree ordinance with permit requirements for removal and replacement planting. Construction near a heritage tree requires protection fencing and arborist monitoring.
Daylight-plane and FAR geometry shape envelope and second-floor setbacks. Designing around them late costs money — sketch against them from day one.
The 2025 California Energy Code (effective Jan 1, 2026) pushes most new construction toward heat pumps and electric-ready service even where local reach codes are lighter than Palo Alto's.
Cost factors specific to Los Altos
Tree protection and arborist monitoring for heritage-tree parcels.
All-electric / heat-pump package under the 2025 energy code.
Peninsula labor and material stack — Los Altos finish costs track the surrounding Peninsula market for comparable scope.
Site work and drainage for parcels at the foot of the Hills with sub-surface water.
Permit and timeline reality in Los Altos
Administrative review projects (most as-of-right new homes) clear faster than discretionary projects. Plan-check corrections drive the calendar more than the initial submittal review.
Realistic envelope from kickoff to permit issuance is many months; construction of a Los Altos custom home commonly runs 12–18+ months. Feasibility tightens the per-parcel range.
Engineering you will actually need
Geotechnical report for foundation design and drainage.
Drainage and erosion-control plan for stormwater compliance.
Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance under the 2025 code.
Arborist report and tree-protection plan.
Structural and seismic design for the parcel's profile.
Risks and bottlenecks unique to Los Altos
FAR miscount
Garage, accessory, and basement spaces interact with FAR in non-obvious ways. Confirm calculation method early.
Heritage trees
Adjacent heritage trees can constrain foundation and basement scope.
PG&E service upgrade
Electric service upgrades for all-electric homes can lag the permit.
Discretionary triggers
Variance requests reset the schedule clock — avoid them in design when possible.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Los Altos the same as Los Altos Hills?
- No. Los Altos is a City with its own Community Development Department. Los Altos Hills is a Town with its own building department and a very different rulebook for hillside parcels. Always verify which jurisdiction applies.
- Do most Los Altos new homes need discretionary review?
- Most as-of-right new homes designed inside the FAR and daylight envelope clear administrative review. Variance or oversize projects trigger discretionary review.
- Does Los Altos require all-electric construction?
- The 2025 California Energy Code pushes most new construction toward heat-pump and electric-ready service. Confirm any current local reach-code amendments at permit filing.
- How long does a Los Altos custom home take?
- Realistic envelope from kickoff to permit issuance is many months, and construction commonly runs 12–18+ months. We tighten the range in feasibility.
- What does a Los Altos custom home cost?
- Per-sq-ft tracks Peninsula benchmarks. Honest 2026 ranges live on /new-construction/cost; per-parcel ranges come from feasibility.
- Do I need geotech on a flat Los Altos lot?
- Yes. Even flat Peninsula parcels need soils data, and some areas carry liquefaction implications affecting foundation design.
- Do Los Altos tree rules affect a typical residential rebuild?
- Los Altos regulates many heritage and street trees with critical-root-zone protection during construction. Identifying regulated trees during feasibility lets architecture, foundation, and driveway access respond to them rather than triggering redesigns after permit.
Official sources
- City of Los Altos — Community Development ↗
City of Los Altos
Authoritative permit, plan-check, and review portal.
- City of Los Altos — Heritage Tree Ordinance ↗
City of Los Altos
Heritage tree designation, removal permit, and replacement requirements.
- California Energy Commission — 2025 Energy Code ↗
California Energy Commission
Statewide Title 24 Part 6 baseline effective for permits filed on/after January 1, 2026.
- California Geological Survey — Seismic Hazard Zones ↗
California Department of Conservation
Alquist-Priolo and Seismic Hazard Zone maps for liquefaction and landslide.
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District — J-Number / Asbestos ↗
BAAQMD
Demolition notification and asbestos NESHAP requirements for Bay Area teardowns.
Related pages
- Bay Area regional context for Los Altos →
Nine-county Bay Area permit patchwork.
- Custom homes on Los Altos infill lots →
Design-build for one-off custom delivery.
- Los Altos teardown-rebuild on ranch lots →
Demo + new home on an existing residential lot.
- Luxury rebuild scope in Los Altos →
Finish stack and consultant breadth.
- Los Altos Silicon Valley cost drivers →
2026 ranges with named drivers.
- City of Los Altos permit-path expectations →
Realistic schedule, feasibility through C of O.
Plan a Los Altos rebuild around local review, trees, and high-value scope
We start every ground-up engagement with a written preconstruction feasibility review — before any contract is signed.
Plan a Los Altos rebuild around local review, trees, and high-value scope